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confused flatfish noises (mander.xyz)
submitted 11 months ago by to c/science_memes@mander.xyz
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[–] 1 point 11 months ago* (3 children)

Squirrels have eyes on the sides of their heads and they're pretty fucking good at climbing and jumping. Next theory ...

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  • [–] 2 points 11 months ago (1 child)

    If a squirrel falls they're probably not going to squish as hard as a monkey. Lots of scavengers also have forward facing eyes (ex racoons) and pandas notably have forward facing eyes and are herbivorous.

    I think the climbing and jumping theory is better than the predator theory on account that it explains why large aquatic animals aren't selected for close frontal eyes.

    Plus many predators (cats notably) do climb and jump. Humans and monkeys also have werd postures that might lead to them falling over easier.

    In reality its probably never just one pressure that leads to these kind of evolutions.

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  • [–] 3 points 11 months ago

    You don't need a unified theory of why animals have binocular vision.

    The biggest threat to a primate isn't always felines, it's often other primates. Judging distance to your target is a very beneficial trait for survival if you need to fight them. Which means if you need to survive other primates, it is beneficial to be able to judge distance to other primates. Even if you're not a predator.

    Gorillas might be herbivores. But they are excellent at fighting eachother. And a dead gorilla can't reproduce.

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